Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand that and the Minister knows how I feel about it. It is important that I outline my views.

I refer to biosimilar products and the legislation needed to allow community and hospital pharmacists to substitute them, as was done in the case of generic products ten years ago. Is there any proposal from the Department to allow pharmacists to substitute biosimilar products? The Minister knows that legislation is required as the current legislation only allows for the substitution of exact molecules. My understanding is this could result in a health saving of between €70 million and €100 million, which would cover the cost of free contraception for the women of Ireland for a year. When the Minister goes to the Minister for Finance, he could save him €100 million and then bill him €100 million.

We discussed the issue of contraception at length at the committee on the eighth amendment and the Government's approach was that contraceptives would be provided free of charge. I understand there are budgetary constraints, but we made a promise in that regard. We identified that almost 50% of crisis pregnancies occurred owing to a lack of contraception and education. In the light of the upcoming budget and the time that has passed since the referendum, it is high time we followed through on the commitment given. I know that the Minister has set up a new working group to consider the matter. It is high time simple things like this were done, if for no other reason than as a gesture to the women of Ireland for the nigh on 100 years of reproductive persecution they suffered. Such a gesture could undo some of the bad of the past.